Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.; I D. L.. ER VIN.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dec. 21, 18,86.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. L. ERVIN.

GAR COUPLING. v No. 354,774. Patented Dec. 21, 188-6.

WITPIEEEEEZ I G- NITED S STATES PATENT Fries.

DABNEY L. ERVIN, OF CRAWFORD, MISSISSIPPI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,774, dated December 21, 1886.

Application filed April 27, 1886. Serial No. 200,310. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, DABNEY L. ERVIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Crawford, in the county of Lowndes and State of, Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings, having for its object, among other things, to provide for the automatic coupling of the cars and their ready uncoupling, to permit of the coupling and uncoupling thereof without requiring the attendant or operator to go between the cars, to secure the automatic retention of the coupling-pin in an elevated position as the cars are coming together and the link is entering the draw-bar, to effect the automatic tripping or lowering of the pin, and to provide for. guiding the link into the approaching draw-head, while at the same time providing for the alignment of the link with the opening in the draw-bar of the opposite car; and to these ends the invention consists of the combinations of parts, including their construction, substantially as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the draw-bar of a car, showing my invention as applied thereto with parts removed. Fig. 2 is a similar View of a draw-bar, showing a device for guiding the link of the car to be coupled. Fig. 3 is afront end view of a draw-bar, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of my invention, showing parts of the ear broken away; and Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detail views.

In carrying out my invention I employ a draw-bar, A, which is so disposed under the car as to have endwise movement, being suitably supported thereunder, as shown, and having its inner or rear end. provided with a rod-like extension, a, which is encircled by a spring, a, the impact of which is exerted outward upon the draw-bar to receive and break the concussion produced by the meeting of opposing forces as the cars come together; but I. do not make any specific claim to this disposition of the draw-bar.

Erected or cast upon the draw-bar A is a frame ,or casting, 0, within which the coupling-pin D is held, said pin having its head formed with an upwardly-projecting extension, D, which is guided in an aperture in the top of the frame or casting G, the pin also being arranged in line with and entering the hole usually provided in the top of the drawbar for its reception. If desired,the upwardly- 6o chamber thereof, being passed therein through a slot formed in the top of the draw-bar, while its upper'shorter arm projects through said slot and above the same.

In the upper part of the frame or casting G is arranged a slide, E, whose side edges enter and slide in grooves or gains I), made in the inner sides of the frame or casting, which slide has forwardly projecting spring-fingers F, which are nearly in alignment with the forward ends of the'slide, and which normally project into the path of the upward movement of the pin-head.

G is an angle-lever,with the upper arm passing through and workingin a slot or aperture, d, in the slide or follower E, in order to move the slide back or forth. This arm of the lever G is connected to one end of a spring, e, the opposite end of said spring being connected to a cross-bar or other suitable point of the frame or casting O. The lower arm of the lever G is preferably forked, one prong of which is pivoted in one side of the frame or casting 0, while the other prong is pivoted in and carried through the other side of the frame or casting, and formed or provided outside of the said frame or casting with 'a crank, G, the outer end of which extends into a bayonetshaped, slot, f, of a plate or bracket, H, secured upon the end of the car. Thelower arm or lever, G, can, if desired, be connected to a pivoted bolt or cross-bar, to one.end of which is connected the said crank G. When the said spring is used, as hereinafter referred to, I dispense with the bayonet-slot,as shown by dotted lines at m, Fig. l. The action of these parts is as follows: As the two draw-bars of meeting cars come together, the pin being in its elevated position and thus held by the spring-fingers D of the slide or plate D, the inward movement of the draw-bar A, of which movement it is possessed, as aforesaid, will cause the outer end of the crank G to pass from the vertical arm of the bayonetshaped slot f of the bracket II down into its lower horizontal arm, whereby the same will move the slide or follower E rearward and withdraw its fingers e from the cou'plingpin, permitting the latter to fall and enter the draw-bar and link of the opposite car, and thus effect the automatic coupling of the cars. Upon the draw-bars separating the usual interval apart after coupling, the spring of the draw-bar will move the latter forward, when the outer end of the crank -shaft will ascend to its normal position in the vertical arm of the bayonet shaped slot f of the bracket, and thus again permit the spring-fingers e of the slide or follower E to stand in the path of the movement of tbepin head, ready to allow the latter,when again elevated, to force said fingers apart and pass between them, when the said fingers will spring to their normal position, and thus in-- tercept the falling and retain the pin in its elevated position.

When desired, I dispense with the crank G and the bracket H, and I secure on one of the prongs or pivots of the angle-lever G a shoe or angle-plate, i, which is adapted to be acted upon by the upper arm of the lever B when the lower arm of the latter is struck by theincoming link of meeting draw-bars, and which shoe in turn is adapted to act upon a pendant, j, of the lever G, and thus also so actuate the latter as then to move the slide or follower E V rearward and its fingers out of engagement with the pin-head, permitting the pin to fall into the link, and thus provide an additional or second meansof automatically coupling the cars. When the pressure of the link has been removed from the lever B, it (the latter) returns to its former position by gravity, its lower arm being the heavier.

I is the link guide or adjuster, preferably of frame-like form, the same having its upper horizontal cross-bar arranged within the link chamber or passage of the draw-bar A, while its side bars pass through apertures in the bottom of the draw-bar, its lower horizontal crossbar being arranged below the bottom of the draw-bar. The two parallel side bars of the link guide or adjuster are connected together at their lower ends by'a removable bolt, serving as its lower horizontal cross-bar. To the lower cross-bar of the link adjuster or guide are connected the forward ends of parallel bars, constituting the short arm of a lever, J, the fulcrum of said lever being formed by inwardly or upwardly bending said parallel bars, and passing their bent portions between the arms or projections k k of a disk or plate, K. Through this disk or plate passes a screw or pendant, k, entering the bottom of the draw-bar, and upon this pendant orscrew is arranged a spring, Z, with one end bearing upon the head of said screw or pendant, and its other end bearing upon the disk or plate K. The fulcrum or disk K of the lever J is thus flexibly or yielding] y held in place to permit the ready and easy movement of the lever, and

to allow said lever to yield by reason of the spring in raising the link'guide.

L is a hand-lever, which is suitably pivoted in a bracket depending from the bottom of the car. The inner end of this lever is adapted, as shown, or in other suitable manner,to connect with the rear end of the lever J. The outer end of the lever L passes through a stirrup-like bracket, m, one of whose inner side edges is provided with a series of graduated notches, m, and with these notches engages the lever L, whereby the link guide or adjuster is adapted, by the aid of these levers and notches, to be so varied in its adjustment as to accommodate the holding of the link according to the height or level of the approaching draw-bar, whatever may bethe difference in height between the cars being coupled. Upon the side of the bracket or stirrup m opposite the notches m may be marked figures, denoting the value of the graduations of the said notches, and thus permit the attendant or operator, with the aid of a lamp or light, to view said figures at night, and to readily and accurately adjust the link at all times, as required. v a

r In the draw-bar of the car whose link is to be coupled by the means above described is provided a narrow slot or passage, M, through which is passed a nearly-oblong block or slide, M, provided on its upper and lower forward ends with projecting headed arms m, said arms being encircled by coil'springs pressing at one end against the heads of said arms, and the other end against the upper and lower surfaces of the draw-bar. In the front surface of this block or slide M is formed an inwardlyprojecting slot or recess conforming to the end of the link. Immediately in front of the lower slot for the passage of the pin or bolt is inserted,in a small aperture or hole formed in the draw-bar,a headed guide or protuberance for the guidance of the link in the draw-bar.

To the upper end of the upper arm, m, is connected, to an eye therein formed, the end of a pitman or rod, 0, said pitman or rod passing through a slotted guide-bar, 0', re-

movably secured to the front of the car, and

at its upper end is connected to one end of a lever, I Said lever is provided with a longitudinal slot, P, for passage therethrough of a tenon on the end of a vertical bar of a bracket, It, which is also removably secured to the car. Onebarof this bracket is notched bracket or stirrup. From this it will be seen that in operating the lever P the vertical bar of the bracket R will serve as a fulcrum, and said lever will be easy of movement by means of the slot therein formed in connection with the tenon formed on said vertical bar. By elevating or lowering the block or slide M the link will be correspondingly lowered or raised at its outer end, as may be desired.

To provide means for the further elevation and lowering of the outer end of the link, I provide a lever, S, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) similar in nearly all respects to the lever L, before described, and is connected at one end to the lower forward arm of the block or slide M, and is passed over a key passed through the bolt or pin, which latter will serve as a fulcrum therefor, and its other forward end, having the link guide or adjuster S, acts upon the link in such manner as to additionally raise or elevate the outer end thereof, as aforesaid.

The draw-bar and its adjuncts may be of the usual form and the other parts built upon or applied thereto; or the draw-bar may be cast integral with the pin-h0lding frame, and otherwise specially adapted or cast for the application thereto of the other parts of my invention.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction as herein shown and described, as it is obvious that the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the pin-holding spring-fingers and the slide or follower having fingers and the angle-lever having a crankarm, of the bracket or plate connected to the car, and having a bayonet-shaped slot, which receives the outer end of said arm, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the draw-bar and the link adjuster or guide, of the lever having one arm formed of parallel bars,with their outer ends connected to said adjuster or guide, and their inner ends bent and passed between the draw-bar and the arms of a spring-held disk or plate, and a hand-lever'engaging with the aforesaid lever, and a notched bracket or stirrup, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with .thelink adjuster or guide comprising the frame, having its upper horizontal cross-bar within the link-chamber, the removable lower crossbar, the lever having parallel bars, the handlever engaging with the aforesaid lever, and the spring-held disk or plate, of the pin-holding slide or follower having spring-fingers, the angle-lever having a crank-arm, and the bayonet-slotted bracket, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the angle-lever having the crank-arm, and the pin-holding slide or follower having spring-fingers, of the coupling-pin having its head formed with an upwardly-projecting extension, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DABNEY L. ERVIN.

Witnesses:

J. Norm MoGILL,

HOWARD J. SCHNEIDER. 

